GOSPEL CORNER
09/08/24
JOEL OSTEEN MINISTRIES
TODAY’S WORD
Today’s Scripture
“God has broken through my enemies by my hand like a breakthrough of water.” Therefore they called the name of that place Baal Perazim.
1 Chronicles 14:11, NKJV
Bursting Through
David had just been anointed king over all Israel when he heard that the Philistine army was about to attack. He asked God what he should do, and God gave David the promise that his army would defeat the Philistines. God gave them such a great victory that David compared it to “the bursting forth of water,” and he named the place Baal Perazim, which means “the God of the breakthrough.” He was saying that when God releases His power, it is like a flood of His goodness, of His favor, of healing, of new opportunity.
You may have obstacles that look impassable or dreams that look unattainable. But when God releases a flood of His power, nothing will be able to stop you. You may not have the connections or have the funding to accomplish your dreams. But when God releases a flood of favor, it’s not a trickle or a stream. You won’t have to look for people to help you out. You need to get ready for good breaks, opportunity, and the right people to come bursting through.
A Prayer for Today
“Father, thank You that You are the God who bursts through like a flood and brings me to my destiny. Thank You that Your power breaks through with Your favor, healing, and new opportunities. I believe that the forces for me are greater than any force that is against me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”
Today I want you to see two powerful keys to winning life’s battles from the account of King Jehoshaphat. The first is to believe in the Lord, and you will be established. God’s Word tells us also to believe the words of His prophets (the pastors and preachers whom God has placed in your life), and you shall prosper! That is the power of right believing.
Don’t be myopic and be caught up with your current challenges, running around like a headless chicken, trying to solve your problems in your own strength. God doesn’t want you to live in a perpetual state of uncertainty, anxiety, stress, and fear. When you believe right, you will experience true Bible hope and start living with a certain, joyful, confident expectation of good regardless of your current circumstances.
The second key is to go into battle singing praises to God. This was what Jehoshaphat did. It may have been an unusual military strategy, but as the Israelites began to sing and praise, God caused confusion among the enemies’ camps, and they utterly destroyed one another. Judah did not draw a single sword that day, but the battle was won. In fact, it was won before Judah’s troops even arrived at the scene.
God deliberately records for us the words with which the people of Judah praised Him: “Praise the LORD, for His mercy endures forever.” Psalm 118 begins and ends with this same refrain—a refrain so close to God’s heart that it features very prominently in many key moments in Israel’s history (1 Chron. 16:7, 34; 2 Chron. 7:3).
My friend, there is something very special about these two simple lines of praise. The word for “mercy” here is the very potent Hebrew word hesed, which speaks of God’s grace, love, tender mercies, and loving-kindness. No matter how many times you have failed and fallen short, and even if the troubles that surround you are a consequence of your own actions, would you turn to the Lord today and praise Him for His goodness and His hesed (His grace)?
When you are feeling down, overwhelmed, or fearful, worship Him with these words, and as you praise Him, He will “set ambushes” against all your enemies, troubles, fears, challenges, and addictions, as He did for Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah (2 Chron. 20:22).
By the time you reach your battlefield, I believe your enemies will all have fallen. Not a single one of your adversaries will escape because the Lord Himself fights your battles.
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